Smaller Trucks - I Know, I Know
 

It looks like my son will be taking over the farm later next year...we'll do summers here (the breeze off the Potomac is a blessing) and winters in South Carolina.

I had planned on getting a weekend fun car, but now I'll be in the market for sub 1/2 ton trucks for the SC place. The 2015 Tundra will stay here on the farm. My wife's 4Runner is five years old, runs great, but my DD is the '96 LC so I'll be looking for something new. Once the LC gets to SC, it will stay.

So.

Crusty ad OWP have been very helpful to me on their impressions of the Jeep Gladiator. It is in the mix.

A friend of mine has a newer Ford Maverick I drove 6 weeks ago. I liked it and, while he thinks the interior could be a little higher end, he likes the truck.

Ford Ranger. Anyone here have a newer one? Impressions?

I have time to wait on the Stout.

Honda Ridgeline. I have no familiarity...anyone here have one?

I have no issues with the smaller Chevrolet trucks, just that the dealer here has been a mess for the folks I know that have one.

Willing to look at a Hybrid and I don't think I'll need 4x4.

TIA.

you know I am a Toyota Tacoma Fanboi.

however, my bud has the last generation of Honda Ridgeline (the wonky looking one that is like a mini Chevy Avalanche - that one), and he takes it everywhere. it is AWD. it gets tacoma mpg, so there is that. I should ask him how many miles he has on it..I bet it I LOTS.

I know nothing, but I heard really good things about the Hyundai Santa Cruz. my coworker loves his, and this dude drives them until they are unsellable. he goes and goes.

I like my Hyundai Santa Cruz so much I bought a second one.....

I am as well...I just know 15 Bubbas that own them so I'm covered:cool:

I should have mentioned that. I know the local Toy/Hun dealer and I will try and get an extended test drive.

I plan on surf kayaking a bunch again so I'll need some bed space, but I can make it work. As much as I love the Tundra (we are taking it to SC tomorrow) after DD'ing the smaller LC around town the past 8 years, I prefer smaller.

Thanks!

I bought a Honda Ridgeline in 2023 and when I get back in the market for another truck, I’m going to buy another Honda Ridgeline. It does everything I want it to do. From the back of the cab forward it is a Honda Pilot, very comfortable and very well thought out. Comfort of an SUV in the front and a truck in the back. Still has a V6 engine. I like that the rear seats fold up and you have a flat floor in the back when you need it. And if you’re not hauling a ton of construction materials, the truck bed is perfect for hauling any materials you might need around the farm or the cabin. Having a tailgate that both folds down and swings out is a plus. Not to mention a huge, weatherproof, trunk. And, unlike, most new, bigger trucks, it is wide enough to actually let you put a sheet of plywood flat on the floor.

It is all wheel drive, already comes with a trailer hitch, and will tow up to 5000 pounds. I have used it to pull my 18 foot Searay bowrider boat back-and-forth from Lincoln, Nebraska to our cabin down at Lake of the Ozarks. 350 miles each way. And if I’m not towing anything, I get between 23–25 mpg on regular gas.

I would suggest you put it on your list to test drive.

100%.

Thanks!

I'm a van guy. I had one from '89 to '05 and replaced my F350 with one in '20. I get the passenger van and take out the seats except for the passenger seats behind the front seats. This way I can haul things like 4x8 sheets of plywood and lumber up to ten feet long. I sendom have the need for something taller than the rear doors and can use it for towing. It's enclosed rather than open like a pickup and serves most purposes better than a pickup - at least for me.

Paul, you need a 1986 El Camino! :D

Perfect vehicle for light duty hauling work. I might possibly, just maybe, be just a tad, slightly prejudiced in that view however.

Paddle board on mine:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1751219224.jpg

On the other one I have a bed extender and tie from that to the roof rack.
Wide enough for 4x8 sheets but they ride angled over the tailgate or with the gate open.

I drove a Maverick before I opted to go with my Rav4. I liked everything about it but couldn't get one in the timeframe I wanted. I wonder what trim package your friend had? You can option them up to Lariat trim level which. I'm not sure if they've changed this, but when I was looking at buying one, if you went 4x4 that automatically removed the hybrid system. Since you're not thinking you'll go 4wd that won't be an issue.

I considered a Ranger but it gets about the same mileage as a F150 with the ecoboost so that ruled out the Ranger for me.

Had this for about a year, and sold it for stupid money. Great car/truck, but not my style.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1751235159.jpg

Test drove a Colorado ZR2 before buying my Gladiator, the suspension was great but the interior was crap, the seats were terrible, the engine was agricultural, and it’s really not adult sized in the back. My in-laws have a Ranger that’s been reliable but also unremarkable, again the back seats are small-ish. Ranger Raptor would be fun though. You know my opinion on the Gladiator, for around town fun they’re tough to beat. If you want something interesting you could go older, get an old square body or something cool like that?

I helped a friend of ours buy a Ridgeline.
He's since put roof rails on it and carries his kayaks on it, has a bike rack for the hitch and a retracting tonneau on the bed.
It's a FWD, not 4x4, rides very nicely.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1751235794.jpg
If I could I'd have one for taking my bike to the beach.
More than worth your while to look into if you're going to use it to go back and forth to the farm, IMO.

An American coupe-pickup or maybe a UTE?
A man like you needs something special.

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I traded my Avalanche for a Ridgeline in 2023 (HPD RTL-E). I absolutely love it.

Reasonable MPG, quiet, drives like a car and pretends to be a small truck when needed. In bed trunk is a game changer and I really enjoy the in bed audio.

Negatives, hardly any accesories are made for them (different than Ford o Toyota).

ps, in bed audio was discontinued in 24 or 25 model year

I’m a Nissan Frontier guy myself, but mine is on the older side 2006. I have been very happy with it 210k, crewcab 4X4 and 4.0 v6.

I'm pretty sure the latest Ridgelines have engines with the Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system, a system that I do not like. Not only do I dislike the concept behind these systems (all of them, not just Honda) Honda has had numerous problems with theirs, resulting in lawsuits and unhappy owners.

A good friend of mine had an earlier Ridgeline, hauled his kayak on it daily and loved it. Great guy but was a little odd when it cam to cars. Nothing but Hondas, for decades.

Caveat emptor...

Cheers me up a bit every time I see one on the road, I am there are still some new cars with a bit of whimsey.

Im not a truck guy, and its not really a truck, but I think a hybrid maverick makes a pretty compelling case for a daily or general use vehicle.

Ive only had one ford product, my current daily driver focus ST. It has been trouble free in 62k miles as one might expect for a newish car. I have been very impressed how easy maintenance items are. Spark plugs 5 min, oil change 15 min, cabin air filter 5 min, etc. I think I have been abused too much by foreign cars though.

The new (25 year rule) kei trucks out of Japan have fuel injection and AC.

https://www.mgprestigecar.fr/2025-chevy-el-camino-release-date-confirmed-with-price-details/

The new El Camino has been announced.

I may go look at one, but I can't imagine I will get one. My 86 El Camino has been paid for for 30+ years, back in the last millennium. It is dirt cheap to operate and maintain.

How are the first-gen Ridgelines? I like the looks of those.

If they've been maintained by the service schedule, they should be fine. I don't think any of the model years had the VCM nonsense but you'd have to double check that. Honda had some paint issues during the years the first gen Ridgelines were built. They were sued in a class action suit for 2013 and later vehicles but they had paint issues before that. I have a sister with a 2010 or 2011 Pilot that's had endless problems with paint. White colors seemed to be most often problematic but I think other colors had issues too.

The internet is your friend...

We had 13 odyssey, which is basically the same vehicle. 140k miles, ran perfect but I did have to replace the timing belt tensioner 2 times, cylinder deactivation never gave us any issues.

My wife made me get her a new car because all the paint fell off it. Look around and you will see a bunch of otherwise nice condition taffeta white Odysseys missing half their paint.

I’m with you, for the $50k, I would rather have a 68 SS and retro mod it .
Same thing with a small truck, get a simple vintage truck, one that is .
When I was “considering” replacing my 99 Suburban 2500 4x4, (yea, wasn’t my idea) . Well, since GM doesn’t even offer a comparable model to mine, and it costs more than the 1st house in a nice area, it just didn’t make sense, so after seeing how solid the body was when it was repainted, I’m the same mindset as Glen, cheaper to replace the engine with a crate motor with warranty and stay simple.
If I didn’t already have a 1990, Toyota single cab truck with the 22R engine, that I’m planning on getting back on the road, I’d probably be looking for another Datsun 620 king cab like I owned in high school.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1751315109.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1751315109.jpg
I’d be looking for another diesel Rabbit truck if they were not too small to haul stuff I do, but I’d really like to get a Mazda Rotary Truck, they are so cool.
But sadly, like the 620, finding a solid one is a bit of a challenge
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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1751315372.jpg
But considering that compared to the modern version of these, they are much smaller, but not as small as what I think of as small.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1751315551.jpg
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Years back, my cousin Billy was faced with the situation of having to replace his daily driver, as it got hit and totaled, so he was driving his 55 Chevy truck (he wasn’t going to use his 62 Vette, having owned both since he was hanging out with Ronny Vansant) but the truck would sometimes break down, and his wife had enough of having to go pick him up, or bring something to get the truck going and told him to go buy something new. Well, he didn’t like anything on the market, so he went to the shop that restored his 62. After talking to them, he told his wife that for less than the price of a new truck, he could have his truck restomodded, and since he was never going to get rid of the 55, that was what he did. So why not look into that? Find one that you like, and see what happens.

I do, except:

I learned to drive on our '59 El Camino: Tres on el árbol, a clutch throw longer than a bad movie, and all the creature comforts of a stone wall.

I loved it...but I was 12 and agile:cool:

From ER: Reasonable MPG, quiet, drives like a car and pretends to be a small truck when needed. In bed trunk is a game changer and I really enjoy the in bed audio.


Exactly what I am looking for.

I haven't small truck shopped for 25 years!

I’ve been thinking about picking up a beater Ranger or Mazda for Home Depot runs, but a Ridgeline seems more versatile.

I had a F250 back in the day. 460 ci, bored out to 500. Drank gas. I kept premium in one tank and cheaper regular in the other. Don’t really want another full-size truck, especially not when they cost as much as they do.

Sadly an old full sized truck is in many cases smaller than a new compact truck.

Under $30k.

https://www.slate.auto/en

I really like my 1998 S10 single cab pickup with a 5.3 Vortec . For around town it is perfect . Truck is lowered and rides on 18 " wheels/tires . I have a color matched cap it's a good looking rig . Tromp on the go pedal and hang on :D . AC of a meat locker which is important in the south . I think it would fit in the back of my dually :D

I'll continue to DD the LC when we get to SC. I am looking at new since we'll be on the road a lot with the small truck, all over the map we hope.

I learned on a 47 Cadillac also tres en el árbol!

I really like the Ridgeline. Its a no drama, reliable transportation appliance! Looks pretty cool also!



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I was headed there, then diverted to a station wagon with a hitch, and a utility trailer. Zero regrets. Can you haul 18' boards on a pickup? I can do it no problem on my trailer.

It makes sense if you have the space. I have no place to park a trailer, though, and towing a trailer in narrow streets and city traffic through suicidal pedestrians is not my idea of Good Times.

FWIW, I have two good friends that have decades of experience with Toyota products (Tacoma, Tundra, FJ40) and have had really good luck with them One of them has a couple in his driveway with 300k and 400k miles. No idea of their current offerings although one friend has suggested they are phasing out the good ones and going to more hybrid systems. I have no idea, I don't follow the car market at all anymore.

I cannot comment on the small truck ask, since they don’t do what I need in a pickup.

However I’m glad to hear you aren’t selling the LC, I will never get rid of mine.

I was poised to ask my wife, "can I buy it???"

nope

It’s in such sweet shape Vash I don’t blame you!

I have a Colorado with a 6ft bed. I like it, it does its job. Had our 2 kayaks in it just this past weekend; plenty of room.

I get an offer every few weeks on the LC...like 911Boost, it will stay in the family.

I am in SC this week and had some time while my wife and daughter were out and about.

Went to the Honda Dealer and test drove a Ridgeline for about 40 minutes...I wanted to get on the interstate so we did 8 miles of I-20.

Very impressed with what was a fleet average Ridgeline, FWD.

I can see it. On to the next test drive but the R is solid.

Colorado looks great, btw.